Flower in Ice
by Merodi-chan
Summary: Sakura and Syaoran have returned to Clow, but something has changed in the time they were gone... MKR crossover, AUish, Rated for violence in later chapters. Please review, Ch. 13 up!
1. Chapter 1

Thank you for reading this fanfic! It's my first one, so please review! This story came about while I was reading Tsubasa: RESERVoiR CHRoNiCLE, and I thought, wouldn't it be cool if I took it a bit further and made Emeraude evil? I hope you have fun with my first attempt at writing!

* * *

Sakura and Syaoran made their way through the thick forest that they landed in.

_Strange…_ Sakura thought. _Clow is a desert, not a…_

They broke through the tree line to find a large, thriving city overlooking a large plain. The city of Clow seemed different, somehow. It had changed in the time they were gone. Suddenly, something crashed behind them. A large shadow fell over them as Syaoran pulled Sakura behind him in a protective stance. He saw a monstrous flower with a number "1" on its forehead. Its thorny vines twisted around its stem as it moved. A vine shot out toward him. Syaoran reacted lightning-fast, thanks to Kurogane's sword training. The vine dropped to the ground, cut off at the base. Syaoran held his sword in front of him as a guard. He felt a pulse of magic as Sakura used the Freeze card.

_That's right; her feathers are the Clow cards, sacred magic of Clow's royal family, _he thought.

Syaoran slashed the flower monster through, destroying it. "This isn't Clow as I remember it," he told Sakura. "Have we been gone so long?"

"I don't know," she replied worriedly. Her love of her country clearly showed. "Let's go and see now."

They traveled quickly down the slope of the hill that the forest grew on, towards the capital city of the country of Clow. Bright colors and loud sounds greeted them. The townspeople were holding a festival. Farther off, Sakura could see a royal throne being carried through the crowd.

_Is that… Toya?_

She headed for the throne, at a run. Syaoran ran after her, calling at her to stop. She dashed on, blindly, overcome with the desire to see her brother. Syaoran caught up to her just as she stopped in front of the royal figure seated on the throne. _IT WASN'T TOYA!_

Sakura stumbled in surprise. Seeing a female instead of her beloved brother left her speechless.

"Who are you?" Syaoran demanded for her. He received a tittering laugh in reply.

"So," the figure said in a haughty voice, "is this the missing princess and her sweetheart who ran away 3 years ago? Back to claim the throne, are you? Well, you're too late. Now, the country of Cephiro belongs to the princess Emeraude."

"Where's Toya?" Sakura asked in a quiet voice. "Where's Toya?"

Emeraude sniffed in disdain. "That softy was never meant for the stress that comes with a royal position. He died a mere 26 months after you left. I also suspect that he was heartbroken by the loss of his dear sister." Her eyes hardened. "It's all your fault!"

Sakura felt numb. Toya had died, while she was traveling around with her friends. The last member of her family was gone. She was all alone. She barely felt the tears as they slid down her face.

As if he could tell what she was thinking, Syaoran clasped her hand in his. "I'm here for you, Sakura," he whispered into her ear. He gently wiped her tears away with his gloved hand.

"I won't allow you to return to the castle, you wretch. You killed him!" Emeraude declared.

By this time, a crowd had gathered around them. Many of them recognized the girl who wore a tattered cloak that stood before their new ruler. Their much-loved princess had returned, to save them, some believed. Emeraude was, needless to say, an oppressive tyrant. Most of the villagers had protested her rule, but what could they do? Their king was newly dead, and their princess had vanished. And Emeraude had the backing of the Royal military to support her reign. So now, they banded together to help their rightful princess. As Emeraude rode out, every family sent a representative to offer Sakura and Syaoran a place to spend the night. They were swamped with children sent to do their parent's bidding. Sakura was flustered with the amount of people wanting to speak with her, until she saw a very young girl, standing at the edge of the people.

"We'll go with her," she decided, and Syaoran followed her.

The little girl's name was Presea, they soon found out. Presea followed the princess around everywhere. She was much like Chu'nyan, of Koryo. There was no doubt that she would grow up to be famous.

The next day, someone knocked on the door. Presea's mother opened the door to reveal…

* * *

So, how did you like the first chapter? It's a little shorter that I would have liked to make it... I will update as soon as I can, so please review for inspiration! Thank you!


	2. Chapter 2

Hello! This is Merodi, and thank you for continuing to read my story! Sorry for the long wait; I only have time at school to type. Also, a big thank-you to those who reviewed. I want to take some time to respond to the reviewers.

**Cherry Tiger:** Thanks for reading! It get better, I hope...

**The Violent Tomboy:** AU means "alternate universe," right? I decided to make Sakura use the Clow cards because her feathers reminded me of some of the cards. For example, the first feather is Windy, because they didn't have to find it; they already had the feather to begin with. The second feather is Big, because it turned the Kudan huge. The third feather is Illusion, because ithid the ryanban's castle. I'm just writing from my perspective, so that's why the cards are in this fic.

Alright, now, time for something very important... TADAHH!

**Disclaimer:** I'm sorry for not putting this on the first chapter, CLAMP-sama. All of the series mentioned in here belong to them, not me...

* * *

"We'll go with her," she decided, and Syaoran followed her. 

The little girl's name was Presea, they soon found out. Presea followed the princess around everywhere. She was much like Chu'nyan, of Koryo. There was no doubt that she would grow up to be famous.

The next day, someone knocked on the door. Presea's mother opened the door to reveal…

…Yukito, the royal priest. He looked around quickly, to make sure no one else knew that he was here. Then, he ducked inside the doorway that was opened to him. A small boy with white hair followed him in. Yukito bowed to Presea and her parents.

"I'm looking for Sakura-hime and Syaoran-kun. Are they here, by any chance?"

Syaoran overheard Yukito and emerged from the hallway. He poked his head out into the living room. Yukito saw him and hurried over. "I must speak to you and Sakura-hime in private. About Emeraude." Yukito had a nervous look on his face, the look of a hunted man. "Clef!" he called.

The boy walked to his master's side and bowed. "I am Clef," he said, "High Priest Yukito's apprentice."

Yukito then proceeded to tell of Emeraude's rise to power. "Emeraude, as you know, has always wanted power. When you left, she saw this as her big chance, because the next-in-line was gone. She slowly replaced the Royal Military with her own mercenaries that she paid with money stolen from the Treasury. Syaoran-kun, remember the day you left?"

Syaoran nodded, remembering the surprise attack from the black army that injured King Toya.

"Those," Yukito continued, "were Emeraude's. She finally tired of Toya's grip on life and poisoned him secretly. Recently, she has been talking about the other worlds and plotting to take over them. She is going to take Sakura-hime's wings to implement her plan. Please, you have to stop her. I've sat around and watched her for too long, and now it's too late. I couldn't save Toya, but maybe you can save Sakura-hime. Clef will help you; I've been training him for this."

Suddenly, Presea ran to them, saying, "They're here! They're here!" Syaoran glimpsed some figures in black at the windows and door. They wore the same uniform as the men who attacked King Toya! Behind them, a woman in a white dress stood, with an evil smile on her face. _Emeraude!_

Emeraude gave the order to enter. Her troops broke down the door and swarmed inside the small house, searching for the Princess and her beloved. Emeraude followed them in and saw that they had encircled three people in the middle of the room: the High Priest, his apprentice, and the archaeologist's brat. _What are _they _doing here?_ she thought. At that moment, a mercenary dragged out Sakura from a room down the hall. Presea and her parents were trapped in the kitchen, and Yukito and Clef were trying to hold back the ones who attempted to enter the kitchen. Emeraude's grin spread when she realized that the legendary power would soon be hers.

When Syaoran saw Sakura being pulled over by the black soldier, he saw red. How dare they treat Sakura that way? Syaoran launched himself at the mercenary with little concern to himself. His foot struck the man in the head, causing him to let go of the Princess. The other troops immediately surrounded him for an attack, but Syaoran held his own until his leg was cut by a sword. The shock of pain caused him to stumble for just an instant, but it was enough for the enemy to gain an advantage over him. They piled on, trapping him under their bodies.

Emeraude laughed. "You can't win against me, the Princess of Clow. Hahahaha! But," she added, "you fight very well. Would you like to join my army? You would be given the position of general and-"

"Sakura is the Princess of Clow, b----, and I'll never join your band of traitors!" Syaoran shouted.

"Oh! You cretin! How dare you say that to my face? You will be punished for that!" Emeraude stalked over to him, angrily. She raised her arm and started to say an incantation.

"Windy!"

The soldiers flew off the battered body of the young man who had saved Sakura's feathers. Emeraude was pushed into the wall behind her. "My hair!" she exclaimed.

Sakura stood defiantly in front of Syaoran. She didn't speak, but her expression matched Syaoran's answer.

"Your magic cannot stand against mine, whelp. I'll show you true power!" Emeraude gathered a ball of fire in her hands. She poured magic into it, making it grow. When it had swelled to about the size of her head, she raised it above her an arm's length and fireballs shot out at Sakura. They bombarded her and Syaoran, creating a thick smoke layer. Emeraude quickly followed up with thunderbolts and water jets. All this while, Sakura held a Shield steady. Finally, Sakura attacked with Sword. She Jumped toward Emeraude, who collasped to avoid the deadly blade. Emeraude wore a black bracelet made of magic; she now called upon it to reveal a staff that she changed into a sword. The two princesses fought fora long while and it was found that they were almost evenly matched. Then, Emeraude secretly signaled her army commander, who threw a piece of the broken door at Sakura. The wood caught her leg, and she flinched, leaving herself open to Emeraude's sword.

Emeraude immediately raised her blade for a final strike. But, when it came down, Sakura raised a Shield combined with Freeze. Emeraude, being the cheater she is, had had her sword made with a rare metal that deflected magical attacks. Sakura's Ice Shield was redirected onto herself, causing the Freeze card to affect her instead of Emeraude. Flecks of her magic landed on her clothes, and then her skin. She barely heard Syaoran's cry.

"SAKURA!"

"Hhu..." Her breaths were getting shallower. She felt cold and colder as the deadly ice crept over her whole body, encasing her in its had shell. Dimly, she felt a force trying to take her magic. _Emeraude..._ she thought hazily. In a desperate attempt to protect the cards form the evil one, Sakura expelled them from her body. The cards turned back into the feathes they once were and flew out into the worlds. But two remained. The shield and the flower stayed behind, drawn to their mistress by the nature of her spell. The shield would protect the Flower, her soul, until help arrived. _Windy... Watery... Fiery..._

Then, the ice found her heart.

* * *

Thank you for taking time to read this fanfic, and please review! I'm not very good at writing, so I need a lot of help. Thanks! 


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you for your support, Cherry Tiger! This story is projected to have at least 10 chapters, so I'll delete "Not finished" from my summary when I post the next chapter. Again, please review. It helps the author know someone actually cares about their writing.

**Disclaimer: **CLAMP-sama owns all of the characters in this...

* * *

"Hhu..." Her breaths were getting shallower. She felt cold and colder as the deadly ice crept over her whole body, encasing her in its had shell. Dimly, she felt a force trying to take her magic. _Emeraude..._ she thought hazily. In a desperate attempt to protect the cards form the evil one, Sakura expelled them from her body. The cards turned back into the feathes they once were and flew out into the worlds. But two remained. The shield and the flower stayed behind, drawn to their mistress by the nature of her spell. The shield would protect the Flower, her soul, until help arrived. _Windy... Watery... Fiery..._

Then, the ice found her heart.

Emeraude had been blown against the wall with the force of Sakura's magic. Now, she slowly picked herself off the ground and walked shakily over to where Sakura lay encased in ice.

"Heh... heheh..." Her voice wavered. Then, as if in disbelief, she poked her index finger at Sakura's frozen arm, thrown up to protect herself at the instant her magic flew back onto her.

"W-well, that takes care of that. But I still need to collect the power of Clow"-she laid the palm of her hand on the ice- "...What? It's gone!" Sakura's body felt devoid of magic, contrary to Emeraude's expectations. This threw a wrench in her plans. All of her schemes for power hinged on the Clow Cards. They would have provided unlimited resources, but all of that was gone now. For the first time in her life, Emeraude felt despair. This was the only time she had been denied something, for she had lived the life of a princess, despite barely holding a noble status. Her frustration built up inside of her, until it threatened to release itself in the form of fire, her most powerful element. The air around her heated up, a stage familiar to her mercenaries. They inched away, some slowly, most much faster.

But then, Emeraude felt a faint pulse, buried under the Princess's cold and stagnant soul. It wavered and strengthened in intervals, much like a heartbeat. "Aha..." She calmed down, realizing nothing had changed. The sudden disappearance of heat in the air was both a relief and a slap in the face. Not wanting to speak more, Emeraude wordlessly signaled one of her soldiers to carry Sakura back to the palace.

The man walked forward, but a bloody, gloved hand shot out to grab his ankle. He couldn't shake off Syaoran's iron grip, though Syaoran was battered and weak. He continued to protect his Princess, for she was his beloved.

Seeing his chance, Clef cast a shrinking spell, an emulation of Little, over his Princess. When Emeraude stopped in surprise, he caught Sakura in his hands and shot out through the door, to go far into the forest. Aided by a version of Dash, he far outran any soldiers sent to chase him.

Emeraude felt her dreams slipping away again.

-0-0-0-

_**Windy... Watery... Fiery...**_

_Those were the last words the cards heard their Mistress say. They were scattered, now, separated from each other and the center. Disguised as feathers, they streamed through the worlds, landing on some, going past others. Windy, Watery, and Fiery, linked together through Sakura's spell, landed on one such world. A world called **Earth**._

-0-0-0-

Emeraude's anger from before returned in a flash. She was so angry that the ends of her perfectly styled hair caught on fire. The smell of burnt hair filled the house. Looking around for a target, her eyes quickly alighted on Syaoran.

"Now, for you, brat, I have something special..."

She raised her arm and a black hole appeared behind him. It started to pull him in, slowly. The evil grin was back on Emeraude's face. "Have a nice trip... Hahaha!"

She turned to another, her anger not yet spent. But before she could destroy the nearest soldier, she remembered the ones who gave shelter to Sakura and Syaoran. She flared again, setting the walls on fire. It quickly spread, until she looked like an insane criminal standing in the middle of her handiwork. As the fire grew to an inferno, her army swarmed out of the house. The captain pulled Emeraude out of the fire,but only so she could give them their pay.

Yukito was about to leap through the flames when he heard a cry.

"Help!"

Presea and her family were huddled together amidst the flames, her father trying to find a way out. Yukito quickly made his way over to them, and cast a shield over them, to protect them from the fire. Presea pressed her hands against the shimmering layer of magic, her eyes pleading for him to come with them. "No, little one. I go to join the King." Yukito told her with a small smile. Then, he pushed the globe as hard as he could.

-0-0-0-

Clef untangled the brambles from the hem of his robe for the hundredth time. With Sakura cradled carefully in his hand, he broke through the trees to the secret clearing in the center of the forest. _Thesacred fountain still stood_, he noted with relief. Clef sat down at the base of the fountain to rest after his escape from Emeraude. Then, he remembered his mission. Jolted back into action, he rubbed a rune on the underside of the fountain's "dish." The "water" began to glow, and Clef set Sakura in the center. She grew back to her original size; the light of the fountain reversed Clef's spell. Sakura slowly sank into the fountain.

Clef sat back, relieved. Now, the fountain would protect the Princess. But the bigger task still loomed ahead. The spell that had trapped Sakura drew power from the Princess's soul, because it was her own magic. Unless someone with enough power broke that spell, Sakura's magic would continue to drain, until she would die.

Clef had felt when the Princess had released the Clow cards to prolong her life. Every magic user sets up a spell like this in case they are killed or in a very compromising position, to make sure their enemies don't capture their magic. He now sent a string of his magic after the cards, to track the most powerful, Windy, Watery, and Fiery. Fervently, he prayed that they would be able to find someone who could save the Princess.

-0-0-0-

Emeraude paced in her royal chambers, after a long soak to get rid of the smoke and singed hair. She had to kill off all traces of Toya's reign to secure her throne, as this was the only way without Clow's magic. As an idea came to her, she sat down at her desk and started writing.

The next day, a decree went out through the kingdom.

**By Order of the High Princess Emeraude**

This country, now called Clow, shall be forevermore known as Cephiro.

Priest Zagato shall succeed the late High Priest Yukito, who recently died in an accident.

To commemorate this event, Her Royal Highness invites

the general public to a festival to be held outside the castle in three day's time.

* * *

So, here ends another chapter in the saga of Sakura's struggle against the evil Princess Emeraude. From the next chapter on, it'll get more and more MKR oriented, so if that's not for you, then don't read it. But I'd still like it if you reviewed. 


	4. Chapter 4

Heh... Chapter 4 already?

**Disclaimer:** Everyone and place in this so far belong to CLAMP-sama...

* * *

The next day, a decree went out through the kingdom.

**By Order of the High Princess Emeraude**

This country, now called Clow, shall be forevermore known as Cephiro.

Priest Zagato shall succeed the late High Priest Yukito, who recently died in an accident.

To commemorate this event, Her Royal Highness invites

the general public to a festival to be held outside the castle in three day's time.

-0-0-0-

"Hikaru-chan!"

A blue-haired girl ran into the Shidou kendo dojo. She scanned the room quickly, looking for her friend. Umi caught a glimpse of red hair tied in a braid, and instinctively followed that.

"Hikaru-chan, I brought you some cookies. They're really good; Fuu said so."

Hikaru stopped and slowly turned her tear-stained face to her friend. She looked lost, a stranger in her own household.

"Hikaru-chan..."

"They told me."

"W-what?"

"The big secret. They told me. Last night."

_**Flashback**_

_"Hikaru, please come here. There's something important we need to tell you."_

_Slightly puzzled, she followed her parents into the kitchen. She hadn't done anything bad lately. But if this was about the time she..._

_Her thoughts cut off as she reached the table. She could see something wrong in her mother's eyes. Her father paced around the table._

_"Hikaru, we've been hiding this secret for years, but now we think you're old enough to understand. You're adopted."_

_She felt her whole world sink into a black hole. Adopted? _

_Her father continued, because her mother couldn't speak through her tears._

_"I found you out on the street when you were just a baby. It was raining, and we thought you wouldn't survive. But you lived, and we kept your origin a secret."_

_Her mother finally controlled her voice._

_"Hikaru, no matter what happens, just know that we love you as our own. You're part of our family, and we don't want you to think that we treat you any different than your brothers."_

_Before the first tear could slip down her cheek, Hikaru fled the room._

**_End Flashback_**

-0-0-0-

Syaoran landed painfully in a dumpster. He remembered these from his travels; they were dirty and icky and people put trash in them. _Kusai..._ He carefully dragged himself out, mindful of his injuries, but that didn't stop them from hurting, and it felt like they were on fire. He knew he looked like a _shinin, _bloody and with hollow eyes. Struggling to stand, he found that his right leg was broken and he would have to drag it in a limp-hop. Most of his shallow cuts had dried and stopped bleeding, but the more serious injuries pained him terribly. Hobbling like this for a while, he managed to find a door. It was more of a gate, really. And since it was open, he limped right past the gates up to the fancy porch. The black gates suddenly swung shut behind him with a loud clang. Startled by the noise, and suffering from blood loss, Syaoran fainted, the slash on his forehead still oozing blood.

-0-0-0-

The festival was in full blast when Clef snuck over to check on things. He knew he musn't be seen or he would be executed, or, more likely, tortured first, thus failing in his duty to protect Sakura-hime. Just long enough to see that Emeraude wasn't doing anything that would jeopardize his existance, and then disappear into the shadows of the trees...

-0-0-0-

_This world... Earth... Mistress said to find the ones who could free her... We see one who is green, who is calm and caring. One who embodies wind. She shall be the first. Yes... The first._

* * *

Sorry for the short chapter... I wanted to update today because I finished chapter 3 this morning, and this feels like an ending for this chapter, doesn't it? Please review! 


	5. Chapter 5

Whee! This is chapter 5 of Flower in Ice! Thanks to **Cherry Tiger** for your continued support. I feel loved...

**dbzgtfan2004: **...This isn't a romance...

**Disclaimer: **If I owned Tsubasa Chronicle, then I wouldn't be writing this, would I?

_

* * *

This world... Earth... Mistress said to find the ones who could free her... We see one who is green, who is calm and caring. One who embodies wind. She shall be the first. Yes... The first._

-0-0-0_-_

_Hikaru didn't show up at school today, _the blond girl thought, worried. _Hikaru has never missed a day of school! Something must be wrong. _

Fuu sat on her bed, green eyes directed to the stars. It was late at night, but Fuu was still awake. She had finished her diary entry half-heartedly; her friends usually came first in her life. Sitting under the covers on a summer night, Fuu noticed that the room was very stuffy. She got up to open the window, but once her hand touched the latch, a flurry of leaves and broken twigs battered the panes. Surprised by this, she moved back, retreating to the safety of her bed.

"Th-that's strange..."

Suddenly, she realized how late it was. She had a big history test tomorrow! _And the kyudo club also meets tomorrow,_ she remembered. Quickly, she flicked off the lights and dove under the covers. She would go visit Hikaru in the morning, she decided.

-0-0-0-

A woman dressed in black opened the front door of her large house. It was a benefit of her well-paying job. She was, by profession, a fortune-teller, but she was known to some as the Space-Time Witch.

Yuuko stretched in the early morning sun, eager to start the day. Watanuki would be coming over soon, and she was looking forward to eating his fine cooking. Then, she noticed the body lying on her front porch.

"Yaaaugh!"

After the inital shock, she looked closer. The young man lying there looked familiar; he must have been one of her customers. She was trying to remember which one when the body moved.

"Yaaaugh!"

-0-0-0-

"And... Time's up! Please hand in your tests."

Umi sighed. _I probably failed.Math is not my friend..._

She looked over at Hikaru's desk. It was painfully empty. It wasn't like her to be this way! Hikaru was seriously starting to worry her.

Suddenly, the door opened. A bedraggled Hikaru walked in and plopped down in her seat, oblivious to the stares her classmates gave her. Almost immediately, a note written on blue paper landed on her desk. _Umi._

She unfolded the crumpled sheet.

_What's wrong?_

She quickly scribbled _You know _and passed it back.

The next time it came, she threw it in the trash.

-0-0-0-

Yuuko instinctively recoiled from the bloody body at her door. Then, the memory jumped into her head. This young man was Syaoran, who had visited with Sakura, Fai, and Kurogane. Just then, she spotted Watanuki coming up the street with a bottle in a nice bag.

"Watanuki-kun!" Yuuko smiled and waved. "Help me move this body inside!"

"B-body! What did you do now?"

Watanuki adjusted his glasses. In a flash, he recognized Syaoran and rushed over to see what was happening.

"Him? Why is he back here? And he's wounded." Carefully, Watanuki picked him up and brought him inside.

-0-0-0-

Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu sat outside on the grass together as usual during lunch.

"Hikaru, what's wrong? You haven't been yourself, lately." Fuu asked her.

Hikaru hesitated, and then she spilled out the whole story to her friends.

"...And look! My hair changed to dark brown today. It's red every other day. Tomorrow it'll probably be black." She laughed bitterly. "I've always known I don't belong..."

"That's not true, Hikaru."

Fuu put a comforting hand on Hikaru's shoulder. She was about to speak again when the wind picked up. Leaves swirled around the trio. The wind intensified as Umi tried to keep her hair from flying around. The air solidified around Fuu, separating her from the others.

Fuu, inside the mini-cyclone, tried to break out, but she couldn't get through the barrier. She panicked, beating her fists on the wind that trapped her. When she touched it, the wind flashed green once and began to contract. She drew to the center, trying to keep from being squished. Her glasses rattled on her nose, threatening to fly off.

Hikaru and Umi, left on the outside, were trying to get closer to Fuu. The wind forced them back, but Hikaru made slow progress toward the cyclone. Bent over, she inched forward, only to be blown away.

"Fuu!"

When the cyclone got small enough to touch her, it stopped moving in. The wind, now clouded with dust, formed a face, which smiled at Fuu.

_You are the Chosen... The first, of wind..._

The wind dispersed in a flash. Everything was eerily calm. Fuu knelt on the ground, with a glowing feather in her hand.

_Protect..._

* * *

Eheheh... If this seems boring, just bear with me. The bulk of the story is yet to come! And, again, please review! 


	6. Chapter 6

When I logged on today, I saw that my reviews had **doubled! **Thanks to **Blue-Jellee** for reviewing on all five chapters!

Yeah, so, if anyone's wondering, Hikaru's hair changes color every day. This is significant in later chapters... Oh, and she has issues.

**Disclaimer: **Every single character in this belongs to CLAMP-sama.

_

* * *

You are the Chosen... The first, of wind... _

The wind dispersed in a flash. Everything was eerily calm. Fuu knelt on the ground, with a glowing feather in her hand.

_Protect..._

Fuu closed her hand around the feather in her hand. As soon as her fingers encircled the feather, it broke apart into small dots of light that floated around her body before sinking into her heart. Immediately, she felt lighter, as if she was the air itself. She walked straighter and taller, if that were even possible.

"Fuu... Are you alright?" Hikaru limped up to her friend, using a broken branch as a staff. Umi soon joined her.

"I... I think so," she said distractedly. Her thoughts were all mixed up, due to the feather that was now inside her.

The bell rang, signalling the return to class.

-0-0-0-

Syaoran slowly awoke in a soft, comfortable bed. His head throbbed, but it wasn't as painful as it was before. The unfamiliar surroundings surprised him, and he tried to sit up unsuccessfully.

"Ow, ow, ow!"

"Ah, so our patient has finally woken up, hmm?"

Yuuko came in from the other room. She carried a bundle of bandages, while Watanuki, who followed her in, brought a basin of water and a first ait kit.

"Yuuko-san? But, how did I get here?" He gasped as he remembered the situation back on Clow. "Sakura!" The force of the revelation was enough to get him on his feet.

Yuuko pushed him back down.

"You need your rest. After all, you have a broken leg and a head wound. You shouldn't be moving anytime soon." She smiled.

"Tell me what happened, and I may be able to help."

"Help? For what price?" Syaoran recalled the last time he was here.

"It doesn't matter right now. I sensed some dark magic the day before we found you on my doorstep. So I may not ask for as high a price as I did last time. The balance of the worlds must be maintained."

-0-0-0-

The three girls were out of school, now, and they walked to Umi's favorite cafe for a snack.

"So, how did you do on your history test, Fuu?" Umi asked.

"I think I passed. What about your math?"

Hikaru was lost in her own thoughts. _Adopted? I still can't believe it. I thought I was one of them. I wanted to be one of them, even though I never really fit in. My hair alone is usually enough to scare people away, the way it keeps changing colors. _

"Hikaru!"

_My family-_

**Crash!**

The now-brown-haired girl walked right into a pole on the side of the street.

"Ite..."

-0-0-0-

_The second? She shall be one who is expressive and creative, one who can be kind and also draw strength enough to defend. Yes, we have found the second..._

-0-0-0-

The trio came back from the cafe by the river because Fuu's kyudo club meeting was being held at a real archery range this week. The club would watch amateur and professional archers and learn from them. As they stepped onto the bridge, the river water began to rise. It quickly became a 15-foot wave that towered over the girls.

The wall of water twisted into a cyclone, completely submerging Umi. She clutched at her throat, unable to breathe. Umi glimpsed a feather that darted across her field of vision. Instinctively, she reached out for it, rewarded by the feel of a thin object grasped tight in her fingers. Immediately, the water pressure lessened; the cyclone slowed. Then, Umi heard a voice all around her, bubbly and flowing.

_Chosen... Of water... _

The water drained away, leaving Umi sitting on the cement, completely dry. She held a glowing feather, the same as Fuu's, which flowed into a single globe of light that had a spiral in its depths. An arm of the spiral detatched and reached into her heart. As the light filled her, she caught a glance of a face of blue, distorted as if it was mirrored by water.

_Rescue..._

_

* * *

_Writer's block... is my archnemesis... 

So, what did you think about the latest chapter? Please review!


	7. Chapter 7

Welcome to chapter 7 of Flower in Ice! Thanks to **Blue-Jellee, Blackrose108, **and **Cherry Tiger **for supporting me thus far. I'll try to answer some of your questions now.

**Blackrose108: **You mean the face that Fuu saw? I thought it was obvious... Oh, and: "Where are the typos? Find them so I can kill them!" Yes, remember the "oeo" now. Haha, we have so many inside jokes from school it's not even funny. Ok, yes it is.

**Blue-Jellee: **It's no problem! And I look forward to reading the next chapter of your CCS fic.

**Cherry Tiger: **I modeled her after someone I know. I'll post who on the very last chapter of this fic, so watch for it!

Everyone else who is reading this, please review! Until I started writing, I didn't know how important reviews are for a writer. So, if you want to see more of this story soon, review so I have something to keep me going.

**Disclaimer: **Everyone belongs to CLAMP-sama... /cries.../

_

* * *

_

_Chosen... Of water... _

The water drained away, leaving Umi sitting on the cement, completely dry. She held a glowing feather, the same as Fuu's, which flowed into a single globe of light that had a spiral in its depths. An arm of the spiral detatched and reached into her heart. As the light filled her, she caught a glance of a face of blue, distorted as if it was mirrored by water.

_Rescue..._

-0-0-0-

_The magic of the fountain automatically dispersed all spells previously cast on whatever was thrown into it. But this was one it could not free. The ice was self-sustaining, and also wrought from the highest form of magic in Clow/Cephiro. Unable to escape, Sakura sunk deep into the mystical water._

-0-0-0-

"That's... weird..." Hikaru finally spoke.

They all sat on a white bench in the park, talking about the day's events.

"Once was freaky enough, but twice? Who's doing this?"

Fuu laughed lightly. "I don't want to go home now, because I'm afraid something will happen to you, Hikaru. What if an earthquake hits you or something?"

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that. I'm a martial artist, remember? I can take care of myself."

They accompanied Fuu to her archery club, but had to leave when Hikaru didn't have enough money to pay the entrance fee.

Umi and Hikaru parted ways, the blue-haired one rushing home to start on a Science report.

-0-0-0-

Syaoran strapped on the flame sword Hien. It was a gift (gasp! Gift?) from Yuuko when he gave her his world-traveling payment.

_After Syaoran filled Yuuko in on the situation on Clow, she called to Watanuki._

_"Please get **that **again, would you, Watanuki-kun?"_

_"**That, **Yuuko-san?" he complained. But he dashed right off to do Yuuko's bidding._

_When he had departed, Yuuko was left alone in the room with Syaoran. She held up a hand, and a small ball of light appeared in her hand. It expanded and lengthened into the shape of a sword. As the light faded, Syaoran glimpsed a familiar shape. The powerful bladethat had been denied him in the Fairy Park of Edonis now formed before his eyes. _

_"I-is that... Hien?"_

_Yuuko smiled. _

_"Another traveler who happened to chance upon my humble shop left this as payment in return for my services. I think it would rather go with you."_

_"B-but... How much more will I have to pay?" Syaoran asked, instantly suspicious._

_Yuuko chuckled at his expression._

_"This is free, believe it or not. Preferred customer benefits and all that. On that note, what do you have to pay me this time?"_

_Syaoran gulped and riffled through his pockets. He'd come with nothing, or so he thought. His fingers withdrew, a necklace from the Fairy Park clinging by its silver chain. Syaoran had wanted to give it as a present to Sakura, but he had never found the courage._

_Yuuko's eyes caught the glint of magic that the necklace gave off. _

_"Why, that'll do just fine!" She reached over and gently pulled it from Syaoran's grasp. _

_Just then, Watanuki returned with **that.**_

_He held a white medium-sized bundle in his arms. It poked its head up._

_"Syaoran-kun! How nice to see you again!" Mokona Modoki squeaked._

_"Ah, Mokona! So you made it back here safe?"_

_"Of course! It's one of Mokona's 108 secret techniques." The living marshmellow suddenly acquired a mysterious gleam in its eye._

-0-0-0-

"There are going to be some serious changes around here!" Emeraude declared. "From now on, everyone shall refer to me as the Most High Princess of Cephiro. Oh, and raise the taxes 20. I want to build a new garden."

Inwardly, she snickered at the nobles who bowed before the golden throne she sat on.

_They'll never suspect... Heh..._

* * *

/Points at YOU/

Review. Now.


	8. Chapter 8

"There are going to be some serious changes around here!" Emeraude declared. "From now on, everyone shall refer to me as the Most High Princess of Cephiro. Oh, and raise the taxes 20 percent. I want to build a new garden."

Inwardly, she snickered at the nobles who bowed before the golden throne she sat on.

_They'll never suspect... Heh..._

-0-0-0-

_We must find a third, to complete the power. Soon..._

-0-0-0-

Hikaru forced herself to concentrate on her kendou studies, so she wouldn't think about her family. She hardly spoke to them these days, and if she did, it was short and minced. Naturally, Umi and Fuu fretted over their friend's emotional state. But whenever they asked her, she would brush it off with a forced smile, or a sudden change of subject. Still, they could sense that something was wrong, from Hikaru's drastic change in behavior.

She continued to go through her life in her half-depressed, half-normal, state, careful not show her true emotions. After all, they probably wouldn't understand, or force her to go to counseling. No one saw the tears that poured out when she was alone; no one was there to reassure her, or comfort her. Hikaru struggled to hold on to her will to live.

-0-0-0-

Just as he was about to set off with Mokona, a glowing feather floated down from the gray skies to land on Syaoran's hand. He immediately recognized it as Sakura's, having spent enough time searching for those elusive memories.

_What is... No! She couldn't have..._

Mokona's eyes popped out, and it exclaimed, "Sakura-chan's feather!"

The feather lifted from his hand, still glowing brightly, and merged with his sword, which now resembled a rapier, light, thin, yet powerful. The sheath also changed, to reflect the size of his new blade. The red jewel on the hilt glimmered with the afterglow of the transformation.

Syaoran hefted the sword, examining its new look.

_Is this... her feather's power?_

"Wowowow!" Mokona yelled. "Sakura-chan's feather is amazing!"

From the shelter of the porch awning, Yuuko applauded the unexpected magic while Watanuki stared.

The sword only served to harden Syaoran's resolve.

"With this gift from Sakura, I'm definately ready to go! Come on, Mokona!"

Waving good-bye and thanks to the Time-Space Witch and her hired help, Syaoran was sucked into Mokona's portal.

-0-0-0-

Outside, within the gray stone walls of the courtyard, Emeraude stood at the dark portal she had created, the one that led to another world. A grotesque, brownish, mud monster stood behind her, as well as Zagato, who held a chain connected to a metal collar on the monster's neck.

"Zagato, do you understand your orders?"

"Of course, Your Majesty."

Emeraude's eyes flashed at this. "Have you forgotten already? You must refer to me as the Most High Princess of Cephiro!"

"...Yes, Most High Princess."

"Good." She smiled grimly. "Then I'll send you on your way. Do not fail me, Zagato."

She waved her hand, and Zagato entered the portal, dragging the monster behind him. The darkness swallowed them up, and Emeraude sat down, anticipating this first small victory.

-0-0-0-

The three friends walked home from school together in silence, as the mood had been lately. Hikaru had acquired a cynical and distrustful look in her eyes that permeated her manner almost completely. Umi opened her mouth to say something, but closed it after a second thought. She decided to talk to Fuu instead.

"I'm really worried about Hikaru. She didn't used to be like this," she whispered to Fuu.

Fuu nodded back and was about to respond when the air around them grew still. A small black dot appeared in the air and steadily got bigger in a swirl of darkness.

Suddenly, a brown, ugly, yellow-toothed head emerged from what was now a hole through mists of dark magic and emitted a hoarse, grating growl.

Umi screamed and covered her ears. The monster slowly came through fully, and it shook the earth as its heavy feet slapped the ground. A shiver of fear ran through Fuu's body, as she saw the head of the monster rear towards Umi. Fuu felt frozen in her fear, except for one thought.

_Protect..._

The last thing the mysterious face had told her.

Fuu harbored a desire to protect her friends, of that she was sure, but how? The monster that reached for Umi towered over the three of them. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Hikaru had snapped out of her gloom to assume a fighting stance in front of Umi.

_How do I protect them? How? I need a weapon, or something..._

Panicking, Fuu looked around desperately for anything she could use.

_Spirit, wind, whatever you are, please HELP!_

A pale green light began to glow in front of her. It formed into a bow and quiver, which solidified before her eyes. Fuu grabbed on to it, and without thinking, fitted an arrow to the string, and pulled it back.

Her arrow hit the monster squarely in the eye. It bellowed and reared back, clawing at the painful obstruction. Immediately assured by the success of this action, Fuu nocked another bolt.

Umi, realizing that Fuu had used powers she hadn't had before, came to the conclusion that the wind must have given those powers to Fuu, and that she must also have powers, due to the water that had swamped her some weeks ago.

_If that's the case, then..._

Umi squeezed her eyes shut and wished hard. Seconds later, a beam of blue light twisted into a rapier, which fit comfortably in her hand. Flourishing her new weapon, Umi settled into a familiar fencing position.

"En Garde!"

-0-0-0-

Syaoran fell out of the portal into a relatively soft landing. He dusted himself off, and Mokona fell on top of him, effectively canceling out the previous action. Standing up, he stared through the trees, trying to tell what world he had landed on.

His vision was limited, but he could see a dot of black appear in the distance and swell magically. He thought he recognized it, from when he was forced from what he considered his homeland.

_Emeraude?_

A large, bulky shape pulled itself out of what he supposed was a portal, and a man dressed in heavy black robes soon followed. The man immediately ducked into the trees, to hide himself. The monster (Syaoran decided to call it so) pounded its clumpy feet on the ground, creating an tremor that shook the earth. The mysterious man looked very familiar, somehow.

_Is that... Zagato? We didn't see him on Emeraude's parade or while we were in Clow, and I remember him as Emeraude's follower. What's he doing here?_

Mokona hopped onto his shoulder to get a better look. "Syaoran, Syaoran! Look, who's that?" It paused, and then its eyes bulged. "I sense one... two... three... four feathers! Hurry, Syaoran, four feathers!"

Syaoran slowly drew his sword, careful not to draw attention to himself.

_I'm sure he's up to no good..._

-0-0-0-

_Magical weapons? I was told that the inhabitants of this world were not that powerful. No matter. I, High Priest Zagato, shall crush them like insects. Princess Emeraude's orders were to find the artifact, but there's no harm in having a little fun, first._

The air around Zagato's hands crackled with concentrated energies as he focused his power to enhance the abilities of his monster.

-0-0-0-

A huge claw struck the concrete as Fuu nimbly dodged the attack. She leaped to one side and fired another arrow. It pierced the monster's thick hide, causing it to groan in pain, as it was vulnerable to magical attacks. Suddenly, it seemed to recieve a power boost, and the claw that Fuu had evaded earlier snapped through the air and swept her to the ground, pinning her.

"Ahh!" screamed Fuu. She struggled vainly to escape the monster's hold.

Umi, seeing her friend in trouble, tried to summonthe strength to enter the fight. Truth be told, she was afraid. Afraid of the monster, afraid of hurting the monster, afraid of getting hurt. But her fear for Fuu was great enough to provoke her actions. Realizing that ordinary fencing techniques weren't going to work against this foe, she modified her style a bit.

Taking a deep breath (and a huge gamble), she ran toward the monster. As she moved, she felt the sensation of someone or something guiding her movements, so that they resembled flowing water.The creaturesaw her, as she hoped, and lifted the claw that trapped Fuu to strike at Umi, giving Fuu enough time to scramble away.

_Rescue..._

Umi's thin blade slashed the monster's arm, and the creature bellowed louder. The sound wave turned out to be a weapon in itself, for Umi was blown back a ways, as was Fuu.

Hikaru stood in the midst of this battle, watching her friends conjure weapons and fight. A wave of loneliness swept through her heart again.

_Wh-why should I feel this way, at a time like this? It's not..._

She clenched her fists, trying to force the emotion to disappear, but it stubbornly refused.

_So what if they have special weapons and I don't? I'm still..._

Determined not to let the welling tears overflow, Hikaru straightened her posture. She had to fight, when her friends were in danger. But she had no weapon!

Umi's cry of surprise and pain fueled her resolve. Though she was not armed, Hikaru drew upon the karate skills that had been beaten into her from a young age. Of course, she felt more comfortable with at least a kendou practice sword, but there was no alternative.

Fuu continued to shoot deadly shafts of wind at the monster, but she was becoming less and less effective. The creature had acquired a speed burst somewhere, and now it either evaded or snapped her arrows. Umi was being blocked similarily, and she frequented the air with her voice in cries of pain.

"Hikaru!" Fuu detected the figure of her friend join the battle. "Don't-" She cut off as Hikaru turned back to her for an instant. Fuu caught the look on Hikaru's face, and changed her statement. "Don't get hurt!"

The disappoinment showed on Hikaru's face, though her friends couldn't see it.

_My own friends don't have faith in me? Th-that can't be true! She's just worried, that's all..._

-0-0-0-

Syaoran had begun to make his way through the forest when he saw Zagato, but when he watched the girls fight, he sped up. They would need all the help they could get if they were fighting Zagato. Mokona, the useless blob, hung on to his shoulders, trying not to fall off.

"Whee! Faster, faster!"

-0-0-0-

Zagato noticed that the third girl had moved, finally. He sensed an uncertainness from her, and also a great source of power. Immediately, he was certain.

_She has the artifact! This is good. Now I can capture her and return to the princess._

Raising his hands, he crafted a net out of his dark magic.


	9. Chapter 9

Zagato noticed that the third girl had moved, finally. He sensed an uncertainness from her, and also a great source of power. Immediately, he was certain.

_She has the artifact! This is good. Now I can capture her and return to the princess._

Raising his hands, he crafted a net out of his dark magic.

-0-0-0-

_There is no time. The last act must happen NOW!_

-0-0-0-

Hikaru's kick connected with the creature's thick hide, but it was a glancing blow. Recovering immediately, she spun around for another strike, but the monster slammed its claw into her back. She fell, hitting the ground awkwardly. The loud snap of her leg bone was audible.

Fuu stared at her, frozen in disbelief. Hikaru, the strongest of the three, had been injured? Worry washed over her in a flood, and she darted over to her friend's side.

"Hikaru, a-are you..."

In the background, Umi still sparred with the monster, trying to protect the other two. As the sound reached her ears, her eyes flickered for but a fraction of a second, and the creature struck her down. She landed hardon her shoulder, trying to use it to absorb the impact, and slid a few meters, tearing her shoulder open.

Though the monster was not very intelligent, to say the least, it could sense their strength waning. Clumsily, it pounded forward, until it towered directly over them.

Fuu slowly raised her head, stiff with fear and worry. She desperately wanted, no, needed to save her friends, but she didn't know how. Meanwhile, the monster was going to kill them all! Forcing herself to look away, she shut her eyes and clenched her fists, trying to call on the power again.

_Um... I really need your help this time... Please, tell me what I should do!_

"Winds of Healing!" An answering flow of light came again from her heart. It ran through her arms and out of her hands to wash over the fallen. Umi and Hikaru rose in the air, completely covered by the green light. Their wounds faded as if they were mere scratches. Fuu let the glow fade, amazed at this other component of her power.

At the same instant, a red streak cut across the sky and hit Hikaru, who promptly burst into flame.

"Hikaru!" yelled Fuu, horrified.

The flames subsided quickly, as another mysterious spirit breathed into Hikaru's mind:

_The third, and the last. You are the Chosen of Fire. Bear this power well, for it can be the strongest, as well as the most terrifying of the three._

The voice faded to a whisper, dying away.

_Return..._

-0-0-0-

Zagato felt the immense surge of power enter the girl. Instantly, his magical sense was overwhelmed with the now-enormous amount of his target's strength.

_It's... so much... I must use more of my magic in this trap so that she won't be able to break out._

He poured more of his darkness into the net, to strengthen it against that girl.

_No, it can't be... I'm... afraid?_

-0-0-0-

When Hikaru opened her eyes, she saw a shining sword with a red hilt floating before her eyes. It seemed to blaze with an internal flame. She grabbed it, remembering the danger to her, Umi, and Fuu. Instantly, she was on her feet again, ready to re-enter the battle. Suddenly, a shadow from the trees in front of them barreled into the monster, bowling it over.

"Just as I thought. Zagato." The voice came from the direction of where the figure had landed.

As the dust cleared, all three of them could see the young man with a tattered cape, standing over the creature, sword-point at its neck. His eyes were blue-green, but much more green than blue. A peculiar white creature sat on his shoulder, which turned and waved to them.

"Hi, I'm Mokona Modoki, and this is Syaoran-kun!"

_Th-that white puffy thing **waved**!_ the girls thought simultaneously.

"...I thought it was you, Zagato." The young man turned his head so that he stared directly into the shadows of the forest. Chuckling evilly, a black, man-shaped figure slowly emerged.

"So you survived, Syaoran? Such a pity." Zagato held a spell wrought of his own magic in one hand, bound to his power before it was to be used, but he could still cast spells with the other. Shaping the runes of lightning, the fingers of his left hand flew rapidly through the air. Sparks crackled as his power flowed through the focus rune, at the beginning of every spell.

"Kuro Rai!"

Syaoran barely dodged the barrage of lightning spears that shot toward him, though they all hit the weakened creature behind him. He spun in the air to avoid another, and landed behind Zagato, Hien raised for a killing blow. The sunlight slid down the polished blade as Syaoran held his posture completely still.

Unfortunately, a man covered in heavy black robes can be faster than he looks, and Zagato leaped forward to the girls while evading Syaoran's sword at the same time. His right hand was thrust in front of him, laced with thin strings of blackness. Suddenly, the power in his hand was repelled and it expanded outward to form a cage-like structure that floated in the air for a few moments before descending on Hikaru.

She rolled away, slashing with her blade on instinct, but her attack did no damage. Meanwhile, the cage still followed her. Hikaru quickly got to her feet and vaulted over the dark magic, trying to confuse it. What good that did, she'll never know. The cage was waiting for her as she landed, wrapping around her and constricting her body. No matter how much strength she used, it wouldn't break, contrary to its decieving consistency when it had trapped her. In fact, the more effort she spent, the tighter it became.

Syaoran, still beset by lightning, tried to strike Zagato, in the hopes that he could break the magic, but the Sol felled him with a particularly high-charged bolt. Sparking slightly, Syaoran skidded on the concrete, adding scrapes and burns to his collection of injuries. His shoulder began to bleed again as his cut reopened. He tried to stare intimidatingly at Zagato while sprawled out on the ground with Hien held out in front of him so that he wouldn't hurt himself.

Obviously, by now, Mokona had hopped off of Syaoran's shoulder and found safer ground. In fact, Mokona had escaped to Umi and Fuu even before the lightning had begun. Now, he opened his mouth and sucked in the air around Hikaru, dissipating the cage and once again proving his conveniency.

Umi and Fuu stared at the white creature, amazed, as Hikaru lay gasping on the ground.

"What... did..."

Mokona grinned at them, mouth as wide as he could stretch it. "It's one of Mokona's 108 secret techniques!"

Narrowing his eyes at the loss of the cage-spell, Zagato turned abruptly from his current opponent, Syaoran, to face his target. He must return to his princess with what she had asked for, at any cost! Otherwise, she would surely turn on him. He reached out a hand, activating his trademark spell. A shadow of his hand shot out and seized Hikaru by the neck. Zagato quickly pulled her into the dark portal that he had left open for a quick departure. Struggling mightily, she was helpless against the otherworldly strength of the dark magic.

"Hikaru! No!"

Fuu and Umi both leaped up at this, but the High Priest's figure receded faster than they had anticipated. Mokona hopped up and down in agitation. "That man took the fire! He's a bad man!"

-0-0-0-

Zagato warped back to Cephiro, arriving in the same place that he left. As he expected, Princess Emeraude was waiting for him, arms folded and foot tapping impatiently.

"So, did you find it?" she demanded.

He wordlessly dumped Hikaru onto the grass in front of the princess, having slung her over his shoulder on the way back. The girl somehow still held her blade, but it had been useless during the journey through the void. Hikaru attempted to shift her position so that she was facing the two others, but the burn on her arm from Zagato's magic scraped on the ground, preventing unhindered movement.

"Tsk... Feisty, isn't she?" Emeraude cast a paralysis over the girl before her with a wave of her hand. "Are you sure this is it? This is all of the little brat's magic?"

"Your majesty, it was all I could get. There were some... complications. Apparently-"

Emeraude abruptly cut him off. "Excuses? You dare feed me excuses? The reason I made you High Priest was because I thought you were capable enough! Are you saying that I had erred in placing my trust in you?"

"N-no, milady, I-"

"Enough! Get me the rest of the magic soon, or you will regret the day you were born." She pointed at Hikaru, who glared at her, still paralyzed. "In the meantime, I will absorb the magic from this girl." At her command, two castle guards carried Hikaru to the dungeons, disarming her at the same time.

-0-0-0-

"We must follow him."

Umi and Fuu both jumped at the quiet voice. They'd been in shock, when Hikaru was taken away. It wasn't possible; Hikaru had always been the strongest. But if she hadn't been able to win, then how could they?

"It's the only way," Syaoran continued. "Zagato works for an evil sorceress who fancies herself a princess. If you want your friend back, then we'll have to go after him." _And there's no telling what Emeraude will do with the feather, _he added silently. Though he himself was magic-less, Syaoran had seen the familiar light that had appeared when Hikaru had summoned the sword. He had to get back to Clow as soon as possible!

"But..." whispered Fuu, "how will we get there?"

"Don't worry! That's one of Mokona's 108 secret techniques!"


	10. Chapter 10

A long chapter! I'm so proud of myself, especially after the last chapter. Okay, it wasn't exactly the best thing I've ever written, but I have a really hard time with plotholes, and I was in a rush to update; it was the end of class. Anyway, this is the longest thing I've ever written at once. w00t! Also, domo arigatou, **Blackrose108,** for editing the early version. The mistake (coughcough) wouldn't have been changed if not for her, so everyone say "thank you" to her right now.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything, obviously.

* * *

"But..." whispered Fuu, "how will we get there?" 

"Don't worry! That's one of Mokona's 108 secret techniques!"

And indeed it was, for before the girls could protest, Mokona had sucked them and Syaoran into his enormous world-traveling mouth, which he clamped shut happily. Then he, too, disappeared into the light of the magic circle that had appeared below him. Luckily, they landed on Clow on the first try, instead of jumping around between worlds. Umi and Fuu were not used to the conditions of time-space traveling, and when Mokona landed, the girls were tumbled together in a heap. Syaoran, accustomed to the turbulence, landed on his feet with a practiced grace, but just barely. As Mokona's wings retracted, Fuu's eyes drifted around the forest they were in.

"Is this… Clow?" she asked, curious. Having never time-space traveled before, she and Umi didn't know what to expect. Neither of them could see any type of habitation through the thick trees.

"I still can't get used to it," Syaoran muttered. In a louder voice he answered, "Yes, this is Clow, but the trees are out of place. My country is supposed to be a desert! …Emeraude and her meddling ways…"

Now, Umi spoke. "So, Hikaru is here?" But before Syaoran could answer, the trio (plus Mokona) heard a rustling in the dark recesses of the surrounding forest. Startled, Umi clung to Fuu while Syaoran's guard went up. They saw an approaching shadow, and Umi hung on tighter as it got closer.

The figure stopped, and a white gloved hand reached through the leaves. The hand parted the canopy to reveal a woman dressed in light armor and boots. Her blond hair was swept back in a ponytail that draped over her shoulder. The woman's passive face looked oddly familiar to Syaoran, and when he figured it out, he gasped in surprise.

"Presea? How did you grow up so fast?"

Her expression turned somber as she answered. "Fifteen years have passed since you last came, Syaoran. The Most High Princess of Cephiro has almost cemented her control of the land. About five years ago, she acquired a world traveling magic that she used to gain outside forces. The land was overrun."

"Fifteen… years… Was I gone so long? I suppose time is irrelevant…" With a sharp pang, Syaoran remembered. "Sakura! How is she?"

Presea closed her eyes and sighed. Her voice shook ever so slightly as she offered, "She… was never found. Neither was Clef, though I have heard rumors that he is living in the deep forests." She gave a bitter laugh. "Myself, I have a small hideaway not far from here. Emeraude has truly lost her wits. Many villagers have fled to the safety of the trees."

"But, Presea, how is your family? After the... accident, I-"

She had placed her hand over his mouth. "Please, don't talk about my parents." Her eyes and tone begged him not to continue. Relaxing, Syaoran let the subject go. She smiled painfully, trying to keep the tears in her eyes from pouring out.

Turning her face toward the trees, she announced, "Now that you have returned, we can continue our efforts."

"Who's 'we'?" Syaoran asked, puzzled.

"You can come out, now," Presea called.

A lithe, shadowed form hopped down from the top of the tree behind Fuu, and Umi screamed in fright.

"Now, lady, there's no need to be afraid. I won't harm you unless you're working for my sister." It was a man slightly older than Syaoran, and he sported an 'X' shaped scar on his cheek. His friendly-yet-sly face was framed by green hair also tiedin a ponytail. He carried a huge curved sword strapped to his back. It was a wonder he was able to move at all, for he also wore armor over his heavy clothes.

Presea smiled. "This is Ferio. He's the brother of Emeraude, but thank the rune-gods he isn't like her at all. We're lucky to have him on the side of the rebels." He grinned in response to the introduction, lightening the mood with his presence.

"We should get moving," Presea continued. "I want you to meet the rest of our motley group." She led the way into the trees, slipping through the foliage almost soundlessly. Syaoran immediately followed her, with Mokona on his shoulder, but as Ferio turned to go, he noticed Umi and Fuu, immobile.

"Come on, let's go!" he called. As if waking up, they scurried after him, but Fuu was hesitant.

"Why are we just blindly trusting you? For all I know, you could be a cold-blooded killer just waiting to betray us. I-" She was interrupted as Ferio drew his sword.

"Don't move."

He leapt toward her, blade extended. Fuu froze in panic until she realized: Ferio was going past her; he sailed over her shoulder and sliced at the space behind her. A deep groan reverberated in the air as a massive flower with a '2' on its forehead fell to the ground, neatly cleaved in half. Then, he straightened, after wiping his sword, and tugged Fuu along with him, saying, "It's not safe here. Hurry; we're going to be late!"

Fuu let herself be pulled by Ferio, rethinking her words. It seemed that he could be trusted after all. If she was stuck on this world, then she had better make friends rather than enemies, because after Ferio's sword, she was sure that any one of them could kill her in an instant.

-0-0-0-

When the paralysis had worn off, Hikaru immediately began to move. But she had stood up too fast, and her legs cramped, which forced her to sit. Eventually, the pain subsided to a dull throb, and she could stretch them carefully without causing herself agony. It was then that she took stock of her surroundings. She appeared to be in a prison cell, complete with a small cot and tiny window. The heavy steel door was bolted firmly shut from the outside, and the window was so high up that she couldn't reach it with her arms outstretched. But that wasn't saying much, because she was less than five feet tall. Sometimes, Hikaru felt frustrated with her height. Obviously, this was one of those times. She had to admit, though, there were advantages of the vertically challenged.

Someone slid the heavy bolt away and the door creaked open with the squeak of unoiled hinges. The lady with the blond hair stepped in, with a disdainful air. "So, how are you feeling?" she asked Hikaru, trying to sound kindly, but a few traces of haughtiness lingered in her voice. "Now, now, don't be so hasty," she added, when Hikaru whirled around with a hostile gleam in her eye. "I am Princess Emeraude of Cephiro. I have a proposition for you." Hikaru relaxed, but just slightly, and the princess continued. "How would you like to join me? I have heard of your fighting abilities from dear Zagato, and I thought you would be a valuable addition to my forces. You'll be paid well, and you will even be able to eat at my table."

Hikaru spurned the offer instantly. "Of course not! Why would I join you? You imprisoned me here, after all."

Here, Emeraude's expression changed to a devious smirk. "You must know by now that I am the most powerful sorceress in the realm. Why, I believe that I could even… find your parents…" She let the last statement drift as she watched Hikaru's face.

"How did you know about that?"

Her crafty grin deepened. "I'm a princess, after all. I can travel between worlds, and I command vast armies. Do you think I can't find them?"

"I…"

"So?" Emeraude extended a dainty hand to Hikaru.

"Well…"

"Quickly; I don't have all day." She shook her hand impatiently. Then, Hikaru's small, calloused fingers slipped into hers.

"Excellent…"

-0-0-0-

He had felt the shift in time-space when a portal had formed. After the many years he had spent in the forest, he was very close to the land. So close, that he could determine the number of travelers that had come.

_One, two, three, and four. _

He thought he recognized the aura of the third one, but it was probably someone that he didn't know very well. They weren't very far from here, and-

_Two others have met them already._

Those people he knew at least: Presea the artisan and Prince Ferio. He'd met with her a few times; she would visit him often, but she had been his only visitor. Now four of them were moving. But the fourth that had landed was exuding a strange aura. There really wasn't an aura, more like an alien magic. The last two had followed the rest of them into the trees. It was time to pay a visit. After all these years spent here, he would finally leave the little place that he'd claimed long ago. He carefully took down the magic staff that he'd made himself. Even after his mentor had died, he still continued his lessons of magic. Though no other knew it, he was more proficient in the arts than the princess herself. Perhaps it had been the time he had spent beside an object of power that had heightened his senses and shaped his magic, perhaps it was his diligent studying. But no matter the format, he had still gained an immense amount of innate ability and skill.

_Time to put the fruits of my efforts to work. _

Unfurling his heavy traveling cloak, Clef set out to intercept the ones newly arrived to his forest.

-0-0-0-

Presea walked purposefully, with Syaoran and Mokona keeping up well. Umi trotted behind them, and she kept glancing over her shoulder to see where Fuu was. Soon, Fuu and Ferio emerged from the trees behind Umi. "We're almost there," Presea called over her shoulder, for the benefit of Umi, who had been previously complaining. She pulled aside a leafy branch that hung in their path, and a discreet campground was revealed. A brown and green house stood in the center while small huts and tents were clustered around separate fire pits. Presea led them down the hill that they were on into the central building. A familiar sight greeted two of them.

"Guru Clef!" Presea exclaimed, rushing to his side.

"Don't call me that, Presea. I'm not that old yet. I see you have returned, Syaoran." He trained his owl-like eyes on him for a full minute before taking in the rest of the group. "So… Umi, right? And, let's see… Fuu. It's nice to see you, Prince Ferio."

The girls gasped in shock while the faintest flicker of emotion passed over Syaoran's face. Was this the Clef that had been High Priest Yukito's apprentice?

Ferio spat on the floor in anger. "Don't call me that," he growled. "I've left the royal house for good already."

Mokona waved his stubby arm indignantly. "What about Mokona?"

"S-sir," Fuu stammered, "How did you know my name?" Umi added on her sentiments. "Yeah, that was really weird."

Guru Clef smiled at them. "I read your aura. You see," he continued, when he saw the confusion on the girls' faces, "your aura is your essence. If you are skilled enough, you would be able to read the aura of every one in here." He gestured to the eating hall, where clusters of people sat at wooden tables. "You two… I can sense great magic, but you are yet unskilled. You have come here from a different world, yes?"

Umi gasped. "Do you know everything?"

He chuckled. "No, not everything. The earth told me. Anyway, now that you are here, Emeraude likely will not let you leave, which means that you must fight with the rebels if you want to return to your home." That being said, Clef stood from his chair. "I must teach you the skills you will need to survive."

"Wait, Guru! Have you eaten yet?" Presea asked.

"No. And, Presea, please take good care of the white creature on Syaoran's shoulder."

He led the two teenagers out of the central hall and into the forest before Presea could protest further. Strangely, Umi and Fuu both felt that they could trust him, even though they had just met him. This "rebel camp" was become stranger by the minute. Clef led them past mages, summoners, and warriors alike. All powers mingled here, brought together by a common dislike of Princess Emeraude.

"Your first lesson will be this: learn to control your aura."

* * *

I'm so happy that I'm finally out of a rut and progressing normally again. Thank you for reading, and please review! 

Merodi-chan, 12.3.05


	11. Chapter 11

This chapter was way longer than I'd first thought... I didn't even write the other half that I'd planned for it. Oh, and thanks to **Blackrose108** for editing my draft again.

**Disclaimer:** Everything belongs to CLAMP-sama...

* * *

"Your first lesson will be this: learn to control your aura."

-0-0-0-

Emeraude sat in her personal chambers, after transferring Hikaru to a room near hers. It was lucky that the girl had joined her; she was getting tired of Zagato's failures. With the power of fire that she had felt in Hikaru, Emeraude was sure of more success. Perhaps this girl would lead time-space campaigns in order to search for the feathers. Yes, she would be very useful indeed, especially when the bait was held right in front of her face. But then, there was the matter of mastery. Though Hikaru held a huge store of magic, it would be no use unless she was taught to use it. And increase came through control, so if Hikaru were taught, Emeraude would have even more magic to steal.

She began to make plans for Hikaru, starting with the next day. Hikaru would study under the tutelage of the most powerful sorceress in Cephiro. Emeraude started to laugh quietly; there was only one other that she had taught. A rivalry would soon develop between them, and the princess was eager to see which would emerge as the stronger.

-0-0-0-

"Now, reach out with your heart; that's where the center of your magic is. Shape your power; hold it in your control." Clef watched over his new pupils. Teaching came naturally to him, though he never had before. Amused, his eyes swept over Fuu, ever diligent, and then Umi. Umi was fidgeting, and she wore a frustrated expression.

"I can't feel it!" she exclaimed, lower lip stuck out in a pout. They'd been sitting there for hours, now, and her legs had gone numb quite a while ago. Frankly, Umi thought this boring and useless. Wasn't ice cream, specifically, Haagen Dazs, much better?

Just then, Fuu's aura disappeared. Startled, Clef glanced over at the blond girl. She seemed to be alright, but... "You were only supposed to try to sense the aura of the tree behind me."

"I know, sir, but hiding my aura just came naturally." Fuu answered. It was hard not to smile; she could hardly contain the joy in her heart. She'd always been the scholar of the group, and learning was one of her favorite pastimes. It had been quite an easy task to complete what Clef had initially set before them, so she had played around with her energy for a bit. For her, controlling her aura was very much like sculpting or making dough. Visualizing change was enough to change its form, and the shape it took was one of translucent green glowing waves that were similar to silk scarves. In order to conceal her aura, she had pulled all of the power toward a center and compressed it.

Umi settled back into her place on the forest floor, determined to at least connect with her aura. Concentrating, she tentatively reached out with her heart and felt nothing, until she was ready to give up once again. As she was beginning to retract her awareness, the sensation of flowing waves touched the edges of her heart. "That's it," she heard Clef murmur behind her, "reach out further; immerse yourself." She tried to obey, launching herself forward. Unfortunately, she had physically lunged forward, while her legs were crossed, and she ended up flat on her face. Spitting dirt out of her mouth, Umi scowled. Fuu giggled lightly while Clef just smiled as she picked herself up. If that was the result, then she definitely didn't want to learn magic. She was just about to say so when she unconsciously touched the water again. Suddenly filled with the sense of power, Umi was motionless as the feeling coursed through her. "I want to learn more magic," she heard herself say, and Clef's knowing eyes lit up again.

-0-0-0-

Zagato roamed the palace, trying to formulate a plan that would bring himself back into Emeraude's favor. He knew that he had to collect the rest of the power that had been lost for fifteen years, but the last time he had tried, his attempt had blown up in his face. This time, he needed to take competent subordinates with him. Time-space missions weren't like the ones he had done before. The power that he had procured for the princess had been in Cephiro, so there had been no need for taking extra men with him. He had had the option of calling for reinforcements. But in time-space, only a certain number of people could accompany him for a certain amount of power spent. The idea was to take few, but with greater ability, and the monster was supposed to be just that. But the appearance of magic had ruined all of his carefully made plans, and he had returned home almost empty handed.

"High Priest Zagato," a respectful voice behind him said, "the Most High Princess Emeraude wishes to see you in the Great Hall."

Thanking the servant, Sol Zagato turned and entered the massive wooden double doors that filled the giant arch of the entrance to the Great Hall. His feet followed the soft, high-quality velvet red carpet lined with gold stitching that led to Emeraude's throne. As he approached her, Zagato knelt before his princess.

Instead of greeting him as she typically did, Emeraude said, in a bored tone, "Zagato, as of today, you are relieved of your usual duties." She continued, ignoring his look of shock. "I have found another one who seems to be much more promising than you." Emeraude gestured to someone behind the throne, and a young girl stepped out. Zagato could hardly recognize the girl he had abducted for his princess. Gone were the ratty clothes that had been torn in their fight. Shenow donned a luxurious blue robe that was lined with white silk and it clasped at the throat with a golden catch that sported a gleaming ruby in the center. Her hair was brushed so that it appeared the softest in the world, and it was adorned with garnet clips. Far from looking like a peasant, this girl now seemed as high a noble as Emeraude herself.

"How can this slight girl be a better general than me?" Zagato stuttered. He was the High Priest, after all. No one, save the princess, should have more magic or power than him. Yet here he was, his post usurped by a mere child that he had brought here himself. Oh, the indignity of it all!

He was about to say more, but Emeraude silenced him with a wave of her hand. "Dismissed, Zagato. Go back to your room and sit, if you wish, but you are no longer needed."

Face burning with embarrassment, he could only bow deeply and comply. _Enjoy Her Highness's good graces while you can, little girl, _he thought darkly, _before I find a way to get my place back!_

-0-0-0-

Presea unrolled the large map of Cephiro that the rebels kept. It was the only one they had, illegality making it hard for them to acquire an abundance of such supplies. She laid it carefully before Syaoran, on the large table made expressly for such uses. There were already some dots on the map, but those were removable, as none had wanted to damage the precious chart. "Now, you'll-" she began, but Syaoran cut her off.

"First, tell me what has happened in my absence," he said gently. "From the beginning." She swallowed nervously, as the day he had been exiled was burned vividly in her mind, literally.

She started the tale with the death of her parents and the former High Priest Yukito. Miraculously, the tears did not come this time. Then, she went on to how she ran into the forest seeking safety from the monarch who had so casually destroyed her family and home. As luck would have it, she met Clef the second morning she was there. He helped her build the first hut of many that would eventually stand in that place, and for a while, he watched over her. Then, as she grew up and was able to fend for herself, he returned to the Sacred Fountain and stayed there for days at a time. So she would visit him instead. She was the only one who watched while he perfected his magic, and the first to call him Guru. Later, as Emeraude threatened the well-being of more and more people, they also fled into the thick flora. Presea had found all of them one by one and brought them here, and it became the center of a new village. Some of the more active ones had cried out for rebellion, and soon, all of the villagers there supported the cause. The village turned into an army camp, filled with all classes of warriors. But they lacked the resources and strategic planning that would ensure their success.

"So, where do I come in?" Syaoran asked in a quiet voice.

"You will be one of our commanding officers. I have no doubt that you've had plenty of experience fighting," she continued when he protested, "and you will be a great asset to our strength and morale. Imagine the pride they'd feel if they were led by one who had fought Emeraude face to face and survived. Please, help us?"

Her speech as well as his loathing of Emeraude finally persuaded him. "Alright, I'll do it."

-0-0-0-

Mokona had made several rounds of the camp by now, and he was getting bored. The people here weren't fun like Fai and Kurogane. He longed for someone to play with, and hopping onto a large branch, he caught sight of a brown-skinned woman. Her pink hair swayed in the breezed as she twirled in a dance that would have made Mokona very dizzy. "She looks like fun!" he exclaimed, and bounded down to meet her.

"Hi," he shouted, "I'm Mokona Modoki! What's your name?"

She jerked in surprise, and in doing so, skipped the dance step that would have ended with both feet safely on the ground. She fell instead on the packed dirt in a heap. Dusting herself off, she sprang upright again. "A… talking pork bun?" she inquired hesitantly.

"No, Mokona is Mokona," he returned indignantly. She laughed, warming up to him. "Well, then, Mokona, my name is Caldina. I'm a dancer and," here, she winked conspiratorially, "an illusionist."

"Whee! I knew you would be fun! Just like Fai-san!"

-0-0-0-

Syaoran and Presea were still poring over the map when a breathless rebel ran in. He had lost his sword, and he suffered from numerous severe cuts on his limbs. "Th-there's a new general, Presea!" he panted. "Emeraude has gotten rid of Zagato and replaced him with a fearsome warrior." The poor man's knees went weak from exhaustion. Presea laid her hand on his arm, gently pulling him out of the doorway andtowards the infirmary. "Let's get you patched up before you report. Those wounds look serious." But he shook himself out of her grip. "No, my report is urgent! My patrol was decimated and the captain was slain. Her evilness's troops ambushed us from out of nowhere. She's got a woman now, instead of Zagato." Finally, Presea succeeded in leading the man to the makeshift hospital and just in time, for it was then that the man fainted from blood loss.

-0-0-0-

Ferio was lounging in the tree above the window of the "map room," as it was commonly called, when he overheard the man's news. Instantly, he vaulted to a nearby tree, and continued this way until he could see the blonde girl that had just arrived in camp. He didn't know why, but he had a strange longing to protect her. The new threat to the rebels would almost definitely catch her in the middle, and it would leave a bad taste in his mouth if he just let her die. Satisfied that she would be safe for the moment, he ducked into the surrounding forest. He was only going to scout around for a few minutes, to make sure there weren't any enemies about to attack the camp. He had gone past about thirty trees in a straight linewhen he was pressed against a tree, arm twisted behind his back and a knife pressed to the back of his neck.

"Don't move." The order came from a cold voice that belonged to his unknown assailant.

"Who are you?" he growled.

The answer came in the same emotionless tones. But now he could tell it was a girl. "That is of no importance. I bring a request from your royal sister."

His sister. That meant whoever had him embarrassingly trussed up like an amateur was in the pay of Emeraude. "Oh, really?"

"She says," the voice continued as if Ferio had not spoken at all, "by the Blood Oath, you must agree to become her informant in the rebel camp. You will report here once every week, alone. You will speak everything you know about the camp and everything you have found out during that week, starting with today."

She'd gone and remembered that accursed Blood Oath! He'd sworn it when he'd been 4 years old, when he and Emeraude had still been the best of friends. Now, he recalled the beginnings of a tyrant in her personality even then. She'd had the greedy gleam in her eye, and the devious smile. Like any little boy, he had thought that his older sister was always right, so when she demanded that he swear to honor any request she had for him, and in blood, so that it would bind his very soul, he'd done it without hesitation. Obviously, he deeply regretted that now. But he had no choice. Haltingly, he began to reveal each fact, each secret, of the rebels, until they stood as vulnerable as a newborn baby.

"Is that all?" the voice asked when he finished.

"Yes, th-"

"Are you sure?"

"_Yes_, I'm sure."

"Then the Blood Oath binds you to come here again exactly one week from now. I shall be waiting."

The pressure on his arm disappeared as the girl left. Ferio struggled visibly with himself until he was sure that she had really gone. Then, he collapsed to the ground, blood staining the glove covering the hand he pressed to his mouth.

He hadn't spoken of Fuu at all.

* * *

Merodi-chan, 12.6.05


	12. Chapter 12

Welcome, to another chapter of Flower in... The screen goes blank and a young man with green hair steps up to a microphone. "Hello?" he asks, tapping the mic. "Is this thing on? It is? Good." He takes a deep breath. "This is not Flower in Ice; it is related but it is not exactly the same. A parody, if you will, an homage. Why do I do this you ask? Simple, because I didn't appear until chapter 11!" screams the boy. "This is a paid advertisement for a parody that BlackRose108 is doing of 'Flower in Ice (she pays 2000 monopoly bucks a day to keep this ad up).'"

Flower on the rocks (A Flower in Ice parody)

Original concept by Merodi-chan

Parodied by BlackRose108

Please read her fic:)

Okay… Instead of getting hijacked by Ferio, here's the real story.

* * *

The pressure on his arm disappeared as the girl left. Ferio struggled visibly with himself until he was sure that she had really gone. Then, he collapsed to the ground, blood staining the glove covering the hand he pressed to his mouth. 

He hadn't spoken of Fuu at all.

-0-0-0-

"Give the order to attack." Emeraude told Hikaru, who now commanded Zagato's army, but many of the soldiers were resentful of a female commander. "I've taught you all you need to know now, dear Hikaru. It's up to you how you use it." Of course, the princess meant that Hikaru should use her magic to impress her, and everyone knew it. The princess's new favorite won't be her favorite for long if Emeraude didn't get some results, and soon. But all of the officers and soldiers expected, no, hoped Hikaru would mess up, so that they could jump in and possibly procure a promotion for themselves. It was too bad that they wouldn't see anything like this happen, at least, not yet, Hikaru hoped.

Their spy in the rebel camp really did make things a lot easier, for Hikaru and for Emeraude. After all, he told them locations, strategies, and numbers. An assault on the camp would be so easy, and the best part was, the Royal armies knew how to counter each rebel trick. Emeraude's mouth curved in anticipation. It was time to flush out the mice!

-0-0-0-

The horn blew long and loud across the still morning air. All activity in the rebel camp halted at the sound. Presea, Syaoran, and a few others rushed out to see what was happening. The sentries wouldn't sound the horn at just anything. That meant…

"We're under attack!" A scout slipped through the trees to stand in front of Presea. "It's the Royal armies, coming to wipe us out!" The fear showed in his wide eyes.

A murmur began to ripple through the crowd as panic set in. If they were under attack, how would they escape? Emeraude would only send out the _Royal_ armies if she was sure of success. How would she even know where the camp was, anyway? Presea held her hand high in the air to silence them.

"Quiet, please! There's no need to panic." Her clear voice cut through the noise of the crowd. "Remember, in the forest, we have the upper hand. We should use the first plan; it should give us the most time to get the noncombatants out of here," Presea ordered.

_She really has the skills of a general, _thought Syaoran, as he fell into step with the other fighters. If he was just here to lend confidence, he wasn't doing a very good job. _I need to find Sakura… _

As the rebels split off into their respective groups, Umi and Fuu were swept up along with them. Each team, as they were called, consisted of at least two sword-users, at least one mage or summoner, and a few archers. The girls filled the gaps as they were directed; because they were here for the first time, they didn't know what was going on. They decided to just go with the flow, and any other questions were sure to be answered afterwards. After all, the camp was going into battle, right?

Fuu's nerves were on end as she tried to settle in with her group. She and Umi had been separated, and she didn't know any of the others with her. Her particular team had three swords, two mages, and four archers, including her. Most of them had already been in battle before, so Fuu naturally felt very young and nervous. Aside from the monster that had attacked her, Umi, and Hikaru, she had no military experience at all. One of the other archers smiled reassuringly at her.

"Don't worry; we're the snipers. That means we probably won't be in direct danger. By the way, my name is Imien. What about you? You're the newcomer from yesterday, right?"

"Y-yes, my name is Fuu."

Imien had thick plum hair, held back with a leather headband, that was cut just below her earlobes. Her clear green eyes were set slightly above a tiny nose, and her giant bow that she strapped on her back seemed entirely too large for the short girl. Her aura was strong and confident, Fuu sensed, as she unconsciously reached out with her magic. Suddenly realizing this, Fuu quickly drew back, but Imien didn't notice.

Now, Umi was in the same sort of situation that Fuu was in, but her group was just a little different. They numbered 7, with the bare minimum, and the two swordsmen were constantly arguing. She watched timidly as they began what seemed like the hundredth shouting match this morning.

"What? Why am I paired with you again, Koren? Don't you have better things to do than following me around?" the black-haired warrior yelled

"Why, Ganel, I didn't know you liked me so much." Koren returned with a sappy grin. His sandy blond hair was tied back in a ponytail that reached his shoulder blades. "Dear cousin, you overreact far too much. But I'll gladly listen to your words of brotherly affection. Just don't take too long. We have a battle to fight, remember."

"Argh! How do you always do that?"

"Do what? Perhaps you're just jealous of my quick wit and humor."

"Stop that!"

-0-0-0-

Hikaru, unlike other army officials in Emeraude's inner circle, opted to travel on foot instead of riding, on a horse or any other mode of transport. She preferred the feel of the ground, steady beneath her feet. It was somehow calming, as she walked amidst her troops like one of them. This was her first time in battle, and even though she herself wouldn't be doing much fighting, she was still nervous, for the sake of her soldiers. Skeptical of a female commander (and a young one at that), the troops had not acknowledged Hikaru's authority at first. But as they got to know her, they soon accepted her as at least an equal.

As the Royal Army swept across the land to the forest, the significance of this initial fight hit her. She had to do well here; she'd seen what had happened to Zagato. In order to keep Emeraude's support, and, eventually, to find her home, Hikaru knew she had to win.

A soldier approached her. He was wearing the yellow gauntlet that indicated promotion and skill, namely, of the troop leader's level. Hikaru made it a point to learn all of their names, but this one escaped her for the moment. "Y-yes? I'm sorry; I've forgotten your name…"

"Noure, miss. I bring a report from Commander Lafarga. He has received word that the rebels have abandoned their camp. They have split into hunting parties, so you must be careful. I hear these rouges pack quite the punch while they're concealed amidst the trees."

She thanked him, and he continued on his way to the captains under her authority to give them the same warning that he gave her.

In the forest, strategy was important, because the rebels had the upper hand. Unless they were stupid enough to just jump out and say "Here we are; come and kill us," it would be a tedious task to find them all. Hikaru had originally planned to send two troops to each of the rebel hiding spots, but since the rebels were split up in the foliage, she couldn't tell how many men would be needed to secure each landmark. It was time to ask for a senior opinion, she decided. General Lafarga had been with the army for quite some time now, so it was a probably a good idea to ask him. Didn't that soldier just say that he was off to see the General?

-0-0-0-

By now, Clef was almost the only one sitting alone. No one had dared to ask the great Guru Clef to join their party. But it was no time for wistful thoughts now; he had to return to the sacred fountain. Scraping his staff in the dust, he traced the lines of a teleportation rune, which glowed with white light when he finished. Then, he disappeared into his magic.

He reappeared in front of his humble abode, dusty, rickety, and faded. It had been 15 years since the house had first been built, and he'd done it with the apprentice's magic he had wielded then. Considering how weak apprentice's magic is, Clef had done a really good job. The only problem was that the house now needed a major remodeling job. After 15 years, the supporting magic runes had deteriorated and they were in danger of dissipating altogether. But enough of reminiscing; he'd get to the repairs later. Now, he had to protect the Sacred Fountain and make sure Emeraude didn't find her way here.

The Fountain, just outside his house, faintly glistened with magic, as usual. Clef positioned himself in front of it and sat down at the base of the Fountain, staff at the ready and a nonchalant expression on his face.

-0-0-0-

Syaoran found himself isolated after the formation. He supposed it was because he hadn't been with the rebels for a significant amount of time yet; after all, he had just arrived this very day. Still, no one had even seemed to get the idea to approach him at all. For the past fifteen Clow years he had been trying to come back to his country, and to Sakura. But now, he was back, only to discover that Sakura was nowhere to be found and Emeraude had already secured Clow in her cold, greedy, grip. Though he wasn't completely accepted into the camp yet, he had to try his best to rescue Sakura, if she was still alive. Luckily, he spotted some stragglers walking around; he knew some of them.

"Presea! You're not in a party?" he called.

She was just about to enter a large orange tent-like structure by the central building. The door that was partway open clanged shut as she turned to face him. "Oh, I usually don't fight. I'm an artisan, not a warrior. I have to finish my in-progress weapons soon, and I'm also the one who usually stays behind to take care of the camp."

"I see."

"But you're not in a party either?"

"No, everyone just left. But," he confided, "I really don't want to fight. Right now, I just want to see Sakura again." He leaned against a nearby tree, lost in his memories of Sakura. They'd been through so much to come home, and once they'd arrived, Emeraude had to ruin everything. It just wasn't fair!

About to enter the tent, Presea paused and turned back to him. "I think," she began hesitantly, "I think that Guru Clef may know something important about our princess."

"Really? Where is he?"

"He usually spends most of his time at the Sacred Fountain, just through the trees on the right and past the big stump- Oops!" Presea clamped a hand over her mouth. "I wasn't supposed to tell anybody that…"

"I-is that so? Well, I suppose it should be okay, in this situation," Syaoran reassured. "Thanks for telling me!" He waved at her and darted through the trees, leaving Presea to her work.

"Wait!" she called. Syaoran halted and spun back around. Presea reached out and grasped the small hand of a young boy lingering nearby. He wore baggy robes that seemed too large for his stature. The short boy looked lost, now clinging to Presea's hand. "This is Ascot. He's one of our youngest, but he's a very talented summoner. Because he's so young, not many people will take him along into battle, so I want you to take him with you." She gently guided Ascot toward Syaoran.

"Sure!" Syaoran agreed. His good mood was infectious, as Presea smiled down at Ascot.

"Now, you go with Syaoran, okay?" She bent down near his ear to make sure he heard her. Ascot nodded silently; he released her hand and ran toward Syaoran, slowly at first, but quickening his pace soon enough. They slipped into the trees together.

After she watched them go, Presea quickly disappeared into the tent, muttering. "I really have to finish those special swords soon. But I don't have much metal left."

-0-0-0-

Ferio sat in his usual position: up on the highest branches of the nearest tree. He was torn between running away and killing himself. He'd probably die either way; on Clow, there was no way to escape Emeraude's magic. He would need to find someone who knew the art of time-space travel. There was no way around it: he was a traitor to the rebels. If he asked any of them for help, they'd kill him in an instant. It was better to end it himself, where no one else had to know. But he still had that nagging feeling, as if Life wasn't done with him yet. It was the same kind of feeling that had forced him to keep quiet about the new girl. He'd felt that she would be in grave danger if Emeraude had found out about her. Like she wasn't in danger now. From what he'd seen so far, this would be her first real fight. The way she'd reacted to the flower monster had told him that she was new to the concept of war. A cute girl like her shouldn't have to face circumstances like this.

He blushed. Cute? He'd just called her cute. _That didn't mean anything,_ he argued with himself. After all, he didn't even know her name yet. She was just another addition to the camp. But she had to be something special, or Guru Clef wouldn't be teaching her, or her friend.

The sound of clanging metal and twanging bowstrings reached his ears. The skirmish had already begun, and it sounded pretty close. If the girl was caught up in a particularly bad string of fighting, she might not survive! This thought sent Ferio scurrying down the tree like a frightened squirrel. He had to find her, and fast!

-0-0-0-

Fuu stood with her back pressed to a thick trunk while clutching the longbow formed from her aura. Thanks to her studies with Guru Clef, albeit short, she was able to call the mystical bow with almost no effort at all. Right now, though, she was in the heat of battle with no idea of what to do. The screech of metal on metal was deafening, even as Fuu clamped her hands to her ears. Above her, Imien had leapt into the tree to practice her art: sniping. From the sounds of the swishing arrows, Fuu marveled at Imien's deadly accuracy and speed. Her party was embroiled in one of the thickest conflicts in the first stage of the war, though they didn't know it yet. But Imien and the other archer fought with a cool confidence that Fuu wasn't sure she would ever be able to match. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a group of soldiers circling around to where the rebel mages fought. No one else saw them, it seemed. It was up to her to stop this threat. She was a member of this party, after all.

She gulped and raised her bow. Fuu had never shot at people before. Well, there was always that monster back on Earth, but it hardly counted. Trembling, she nocked an arrow and drew the bowstring back. She sighted down her left arm, trying to get the best shot she could. Letting the arrow fly, Fuu released the pressure with some relief. She had taken the first step to becoming a true archer. The arrow, guided by the magic of wind, flew straight into the chest of the front-most soldier, who fell noisily. His comrades stared in a moment of surprise, allowing Fuu to strike down the next one, and the one after that.

Her own skill surprised her. Sure, Fuu had always been the best archer in the Kyudo club, but she'd never dreamed she was this good. Gaining confidence, Fuu sent a volley of her arrows into the enemy ranks. To her satisfaction, she saw more than a few of them fall.

"Good work!" Imien called down to her. Fuu grinned back, glad to have the praise of a senior. Suddenly, though, the plum-haired archer's face changed.

"Behind you!"

Fuu whipped around to find a lone fighter leering at her from under an upraised sword, ready to strike. She froze, nerves running on overload. In order to fight on her left side, she had forgotten to watch her right, a fatal beginner's mistake that many make only once too much. Somehow willing herself to move, Fuu ducked as the heavy blade came down. It sheared off one golden curl as it imbedded itself in the tree behind her. Fuu dimly heard Imien's shout as the attacking soldier struggled to free his sword. Imien cocked her bow, planning to shoot him in the neck, but had to change targets when a lightning-fast curved blade struck the soldier down.

The vessel of wind blushed a deep red when she discovered that she had been saved by the handsome Prince Ferio. Again. It wasn't that she disliked being rescued, just, it got embarrassing after a while. But, she had to admit, Fuu was glad that he had decided to show up here. Strangely, she liked having him around. The rest of the world seemed to fade away when he smiled at her. Was it… love?

* * *

Long chapter, eh? Merry Christmas, everybody! And don't forget to review! 

Merodi-chan, 12.24.05


	13. Chapter 13

Sorry about the late update, everyone! I've been really busy and bogged down with writer's block. This chapter really isn't finished, at least, not as finished as I'd have liked, and the story's moving a little slow. But I thought that since I've had it for months now, I'll just post it. I'm also doing all of this from memory, so it's probably not very accurate. That said, here's the standard "please review," and I'll be off to work on **Detective Riku** for a while.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Tsubasa Chronicle or MKR. Duh.

* * *

The vessel of wind blushed a deep red when she discovered that she had been saved by the handsome Prince Ferio. Again. It wasn't that she disliked being rescued, just, it got embarrassing after a while. But, she had to admit, Fuu was glad that he had decided to show up here. Strangely, she liked having him around. The rest of the world seemed to fade away when he smiled at her. Was it… love? 

-0-/-0-

Caldina stood stock-still, in the shadow of a particularly thick tree. Then, ever so slightly, her fingers twitched. A small blue bird plummeted to the ground from the leaves above her. Just before it hit, the bird suddenly stopped, frozen in midair. The fingers moved again, and the tiny animal shot up three feet, still motionless save its eye, which rolled in anger at the illusionist. Her face breaking into a wide grin, Caldina flicked her wrist and released the bird; it flapped away as fast as it could go, streaking deep into the forest. High above her, a rustling sound could be heard. Mokona popped his head out through the thick foliage.

"Wow! That was so cool! You can use magic just like Fai-san!" he exclaimed in amazement. Caldina tilted her head all the way back to stare at the white marshmallow. "Who's Fai-san?" she asked.

Mokona hopped down onto her shoulder before answering. "He's a magician that Syaoran-kun and Mokona Modoki used to travel with. He's from a different world." Before Mokona could add anything else, Caldina turned her head sharply, distracted by a sound in the distance. She could hear a clamoring ring, though faint, growing in intensity.

"Hmm… Sounds like a fight. Hey, Mokona," she said, getting an idea, "wanna come with me and see what's up? I'll bet there's some treasure or money we can steal!"

"Okay!"

They set off through the trees, Caldina hopping happily along at the prospect of more gold. She would just slip in quickly, scan the field to see if there were possessions ripe for theft, and get out of there as fast as she could. There was no point in risking her life for a simple job like this. Though she made it a point to steal only from Emeraude and her cronies. It was clear where her loyalties lay.

_Loyalties… _she mused. _Reminds me of royalties, which reminds me of…MONEY!_

Hey, there was one now! Caldina could distinctly detect each scrape of steel on steel as they got closer. She rubbed her hands in anticipation. Soon, she would be filthy rich, if the enemy was carrying rare weapons or better yet, pure gold. The illusionist could remember the last time she'd pulled a fast one on someone, and quite a fast one it had been. She'd taken the Emerald of the Wind Shrine, a real treasure, even to those who didn't know its value. But Caldina? Instant recognition, she was that good. And she hadn't sold it either. Though it would have brought her a vast sum, Caldina had hidden it away in one of her secret caches in the forest. It would probably come in handy later.

Here, she slowed down. It wasn't wise to alert her intended targets to her existence if she wanted a clean steal. Ducking behind a tree, Caldina carefully sneaked a peek around the tree. A massacre awaited her eyes. Armored soldiers had overrun the field as a few rebel fighters were trampled underfoot. She gasped as she saw the faces of the dying closest to her. She knew those people! It was a horror to behold for her as Caldina watched the ones she passed every day die before her wide eyes. Mokona chose this moment to pop his head up. Unfortunately, he wasn't very familiar with the way spies work. The first sounds that came from his gigantic mouth could be heard miles away.

"Mokona sees… dead people!"

Quickly, but not fast enough, the illusionist clamped a hand over the marshmallow's mouth. "Quiet!" she hissed. "They'll hear…" But it was too late. Immediately, the clank of armor could be heard as some of the soldiers reversed direction to see who was hiding behind the tree. Caldina contemplated the possibility of escape for the few short moments before they were completely surrounded.

"Uh… Hey, uh, how're you guys doin'? Eheh…"

-0-/-0-

Hikaru led her squadron through the shadows of the forest. As one of the primary leaders of the army, she had gathered a good amount of soldiers to accompany her. She felt reassured by the numbers, though she knew that a smaller group would have better luck here. General Lafarga had taken that route, personally heading the ranks sent to capture the Sacred Fountain. Hikaru relied on his skill and experience there. She knew Emeraude wouldn't tolerate failure; Hikaru had seen that even from the few days she'd been in this world.

In any case, this was her first battle, and it was important to make a good impression. Otherwise, she may never find her true home.

Whipping out the crude map she had sketched from memory, she mentally traced her path again. First, west toward the tunnel-like branches. A small rebel force would be stationed there. Finish them off and move on. Make a sharp right in the center of the tunnel to come out into a small clearing. More than likely, another group hid there as an ambush. After that, the trail would be relatively easy to follow; discreet yellow markers showed the way to the Sacred Fountain, where General Lafarga would be waiting. The other parts of her army had their own routes to travel, each leading to the Fountain. If all went well, they could be done with this in a few hours.

Hikaru unsheathed the sword given to her by Emeraude, unnaturally calm. She'd thought her heart would have been pounding by now, adrenaline rushing through her veins. But there was no time to ponder that now. Raising her blade, she called to her men: "Begin the assault; prepare to battle!"

Now, her heart did race, caught up in the excitement of war. Battle was joined!

-0-/-0-

Umi sighed as Ganel and Koren got into another argument. This time, it seemed to be about each other's fighting style. To tell the truth, she was tired of them. Here they were in the heat of battle, and they were arguing with each other instead of engaging the enemy! Right when there seemed to be a lull in the fighting, they'd go for each other's heads again. It was enough to make her puke.

Suddenly, one of the mages was killed. At least _that_ put a stop to the quarrel. Umi whirled around, trying to see what had happened. Her eyes detected a mysterious shadow receding from the dead mage. Purely be instinct, she lashed out with her rapier, just catching the figure on the shoulder. A spray of blood spurted out from the wound as the shadow cursed, clutching his cut.

"They're over here!" Umi yelled, unnecessarily, as the other members of her party had already shifted to face that direction. The wounded soldier stood in the front, flanked by at least five others, all with naked steel in their hands.

Ganel growled and opened his mouth in preparation to speak, but Koren stepped in front of him, cutting Ganel off. "So you're the ones who killed Siele?" he asked. Strangely, the blond swordsman still had a faintly amused expression on his face, probably due to Ganel's reaction. "Koren! That was MY line!"

"Too slow."

Without warning, the enemy soldiers attacked. Umi found herself in the midst of a battle where she realized the cold truth: she was fighting for her life. But she'd scraped up a few skills from her short time here. Her reflexes were definitely a lot sharper than before. Parry after lightning-fast parry no longer seemed to take thought; she had settled into a sort of rhythm, keeping watch for any tricks her opponent might try.

Her arms were getting tired. She'd never fought for such a long time before, and at such a high speed. Umi knew that she wouldn't hold out for much longer. It was only a matter of time until she failed to block another stroke, or the sweat from her palms would allow the hilt to slip from her grasp, and the enemy would cut her down, just like poor Siele…

An arrow streaked across her field of vision to embed itself in the neck of her attacker. He groaned and fell backwards, completely taken off guard. The blood oozed out of his wound slowly, staining his armor, clothes, and the grass beneath him. It was Umi's first encounter with death on the battlefield, but there was no time to consider it. She only paused to wipe away flecks of blood and sweat from her arms and face. There would be time later to dwell upon how disgusting this was, and to want new clothes and a bath.

Apparently, there had been more than five soldiers, for a new wave had begun to pour into the small space between the trees. Luckily, this was a place where the rare sunlight penetrated the canopy to allow a bit of easier sight.

"Behind you, Umi!"

She heard the desperate yell, but when she turned, it was too late to raise her blade. Filled with panic, she did the first thing that came to mind.

"Water Dragon!"

A stream of blue light shot out of the palm that she had raised to protect herself. The light formed itself into the shape of a dragon, with its mouth opened in a snarl. Umi's magic wound around her attacker's head and limbs, effectively drowning him. The body thudded to the ground limply. In the space that she had acquired, Umi paused to take a few deep breaths, something she had not the time for since the battle had begun.

Around her, her allies were just finishing things up. The last two or three soldiers had decided to escape, probably to collect their pay. Oh, no. Koren and Ganel were at it again.

"You could have killed me with that wild swing of yours! What were you thinking?"

"Calm down, Ganel. I just miscalculated, that's all. You don't have to get so worked up. I'm the best swordsman here anyways. You wouldn't have been missed." Koren wisely took a careful step back after these words found their way out of his mouth. "Oops, did I say that out loud?" He chuckled nervously as his cousin stepped forward menacingly.

"You wanna say that 'out loud' again? To my blade?"

"Eheh… Actually, I'd rather not. Run away!"

"Grr… Koren, get back here, you! I haven't finished beating you up yet!"

Umi gave a sigh of relief as they both raced away, as did the rest of the party. Frankly, all of them were quite annoyed with Ganel and Koren's "chatty nature." It was always a trial of sanity for anyone working with them when the cousins were stuck in the same group. Sadly, that happened far too often. Besides, who has the time to be joking around when one of them had passed on?

The lone summoner, whose name Umi remembered as Yourai, knelt at Siele's body. She tried to lift the deadweight, but it proved too much for her. An archer came over to help. Siele had been a constant, always there with her bubbly personality. She'd brightened the spirits of the rebels many a time, and now she was gone. Though she'd not known the mage for long, Umi had become somewhat friends with her.

They were trying to bury her. There were no shovels, but each did their best with scratching a hole deep enough to lay Siele's body into the ground. With tears blurring her eyes, Umi extended a trembling hand that carted away yet another handful of dirt.

-0-/-0-

Ascot was silent during the whole trip. He was a quiet child, but he possessed great magic. Several times, Syaoran had tried to spark up a conversation, but Ascot stubbornly kept his mouth tightly closed. About halfway through the journey, the boy had decided to summon a small creature to keep him company. The spherical pink bird he had chosen flitted around his hands and face as they walked along.

It was strangely silent in this part of the forest. Being relatively new, it was easy for Syaoran to get lost, as he thought he was now. Didn't they already pass this stump? As he stood before it, puzzled, Ascot turned without hesitation onto a path that Syaoran had not seen before. It seemed that the child had done a nice bit of exploring, because the path led them to a bright clearing, larger that most, where a lone figure sat in front of a… What was that? It looked something like a monument or stand, but the top seemed to be entirely flat. Another mystery of Clow, he supposed. He made a mental note to properly examine it later, as it was probably a remnant of an earlier culture, and so might have some connections to the ruins he'd been excavating that fateful night.

Still, the one he had wanted to visit was here.

"Guru Clef!"

The figure turned.

"Ah, Syaoran, and young Ascot! How did you find your way here?"

"Well, it was mostly Ascot. I, uh, kind of got us lost." Syaoran laughed, embarrassed, as he scratched at his head. "I wanted to ask you about something." Here his expression changed, as light humor gave way to seriousness.

Clef gave a slight smile, wisdom reflected in his eyes despite his age. "It's about the princess?"

Syaoran's nod, almost imperceptible, was his answer.

"Well, then, let's see… I'll start from the beginning, from when Hime-sama was trapped by this unfortunate event."

* * *

-Merodi-chan, 3.11.06 


End file.
